As it was said above, if practiced regularly, one can get used to yoga postures. Asanas and pranayamas, which were influencing greatly the state, causing significant feeling of the energy movement, become usual and stop making the same effect. Here is the mechanism of this adaptation.
1. Our body accustoms to the same workout. Practicing asanas, we enlarge the capacity of our body — the physical and the energy one. To neutralise this adaptation we use advanced variations of asanas.
2. «Unfreezing» of the most significant zones of the «blocked» energy, which used to be the source of strong sensations. To avoid this adaptation one should include into his practice some techniques to get energy from outside (see «Techniques of work with energy»).
3. Psychological adaptation to new sensations, which makes the actualisation to practice exercises less stable. Your attention and energy are dispersed. To avoid this adaptation you should use more regularly the meditation on actualisation while doing exercises.
To keep yoga practice effective we can use more difficult exercis-es. These advanced asanas can be useful for people with naturally high flexibility. The analysis of these exercises shows, that by their work, and by their energy effect and sensations, these asanas are similar to the basic ones, described in the previous chapter.
The contrary is also true: the need to practice advanced asanas comes only after the reserve of basic ones is over. Otherwise more com-plicated asanas will only exhaust inside reserve of the body. As it is said in «Shvetashvara Upanishad»: «If you cannot master all asanas, master just one, but reach the total comfort in it».
So let’s take a look at some advanced yoga postures, which can be used after the total mastering of basic exercises, taking into account the inner criteria of mastering.
Bhujangasana and its variations #
Bhujangasana with an advanced bending, resting on hands
(2nd variation of Bhujangasana)
Bhujangasana legs apart
Bhujangasana legs bended in the knees
(3nd variation of Bhujangasana)
The general feature of postures with legs apart is that they drive the energy not by the anterior-middle channel, but by the meridians of the anterior and posterior parts of the body, on the sides from the middle channel.
Asanas similar to Bhujangasana #
These asanas are done to stretch the anterior-middle meridian. Like in Bhujangasana, these poses should be entered from the top down, arch-ing the spine vertebra after vertebra. If done correctly, these asanas make the energy move and cause the feeling of heat moving up the spine.
Chakrasana (wheel pose)
Kapaliasana (head stand resting on the forehead)
In this pose there is a natural stretching of the anterior-middle channel.
Prishthasana (back pose)
Sarpasana and its variations #
Sarpasana (snake pose)
Sarpasana is an ex-ercise joining the effect of both Bhujangasana and pivoting postures. It is en-tered from Bhujangasana by turning the head fol-lowed by shoulders verte-bra per vertebra, from the top down.
Sarpasana. Advanced variations. Various sarpasa-nas activate different back meridians. The more compli-cated it is, the closer to the spine energy moves.
Particularities of per-forming. In sarpasana one half of the body should be to-tally strained, and another — completely relaxed.
Criteria. Sarpasana ac-tivates non-symmetric merid-ians, that’s why the tension should go from a temple to the groin. The heat goes up the channel on the strained half of the back.
Asanas similar to Рaschimottanasana #
Konasana (angle pose)
It’s recommended for practitioners with the high flexibility of their lower back,
who can’t get the energy effect from Paschimottanasana.
Yoga mudra
Kurmasana (tortoise pose)
For even more flexible people.
Kurmasana (tortoise pose)
Simplified version
Pranamasana (bow pose)
Marichyasana (Marichy pose)
The starting position for this pose is Paschimottanasana.
Inside and outside criteria of doing these asanas right are the same as for Paschimottanasana.
Asanas similar to Рadahastasana #
Dvikonasana (double angle pose)
Intensifies the influence on the posterior middle channel.
Padahastasana with a bended knee
Intensifies the influence on the channels of the bearing leg.
Trikonasana and its variations #
Trikonasana. First variation
The hand is put near the same foot. The asymmetry of poses is done by the pelvis.
Trikonasana. Second variation
The hand is placed near the opposite foot.
The inside criteria of doing these variations of Trikonasana cor-rectly are the same as for the basic pose, described above. The only dif-ference is that the strain is done only by one leg (to which the bending is done).
Asanas similar to Рќalasana #
Urdhvakonasana (inverted angle pose)
Chakrasana kriya (moving wheel pose)
Karnapidasana (knees near ears pose)